Wild One
by piper maru duchovny
Summary: Stella and Mac babysit an eight year old Lucy. Established Smacked and Dantana.


**A/N: I'm so sorry that I have been MIA lately. Lots of crap plus a broken keyboard is my excuse. But I got my new keyboard and my inspiration came screaming back. :) **

**Dedicated to Hannah Mackenzie, I love you so much my Hannie-Bananie. I also very much loved the outfit you had on today - it was so cool and daring. Also, to my aunt Carla who used to spend many evenings while my parents worked, babysitting me and combing the evil tangles from my hair - LOVE YOU OODLES. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, shocking, I know. **

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**_She's a Wild One, with an Angel's face,  
She's a woman-child in a state of Grace,  
When she was three years old on her Daddy's knee,  
He said 'You can be anything you want to be',  
She's a Wild One, runnin' free  
_**-Faith Hill;**

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**Her blond hair was a mess of knots slipping from a hair elastic, her shoulder peaked out from her mother's white dress shirt that was tied at the waist, purple and black striped tights peaked out from under cutoffs and met her black Converse at her ankles – Lucy Messer had gained fashion independence. Mac Taylor leaned against his door frame, simply taking in the sight of his goddaughter, "Hey Luce."

"Hey Papaw." Lucy maneuvered her way past the adults and into the apartment. Tossing her book bag on the ground by the couch, she toed off her Converse and collapsed dramatically on the overstuffed sofa.

"Thanks for watching her, Mac," Lindsay smiled up at her boss, "I don't want her sitting in the hospital for hours on end." Danny's father had been placed in the hospital that morning, awaiting a double bypass.

Mac shrugged, "It's no problem."

"You say that now," Lindsay chuckled, "we got lucky with the terrible twos, Lucy has the terrible eights."

Mac smirked, "Yes, but I'm Papaw Mac. I have powers of persuasion." He squeezed her shoulder comfortingly, "Go be with Danny, she'll be in one piece when you get back."

"Thanks." She smiled and walked over, kissing Lucy goodbye – who in turn rolled her eyes and wiped her cheek on her sleeve.

"Mommmm. Gross!" Lucy groaned.

Lindsay just chuckled and kissed the top of Lucy's head, "Love you, Baby. Behave for Papaw."

"Love you too."

Mac closed the door behind Lindsay and turned to look at Lucy. She had stretched out across two-thirds of the couch and sequestered the remote, changing the channel to that insipid talking sponge who lived under the sea. With a sigh, Mac walked over and plopped down in front of her on the coffee table, "What do ya want to do today?"

"Nothin'." Lucy crossed her arms over her chest and didn't move her eyes from the TV.

"You got homework?"

"Nope."

"Are you hungry?"

"Nuh-uh."

"You want to go to the park?"

"Nah."

"Alright," Mac shrugged, getting up and moving to the recliner in the corner, "let me know if you get tired of rotting your brain."

"Sure." Lucy mumbled, but grinned slightly.

Watching the cartoon gave Mac the feeling that his brain was melting, so he picked up his acoustic guitar and strummed quietly. He played part of an old jazz song he had committed to memory when he felt a finger tap him on the shoulder. Glancing up, Mac smiled at the fact that the TV was off and Lucy was standing beside him, "Yes?"

"Can I try?" Her deep blue eyes found his and her lower lip slipped out slightly.

Mac nodded and moved the guitar so Lucy could climb onto his lap. He placed the acoustic on her lap and moved her left hand to the frets and adjusted her right arm so her wrist didn't brush the strings. They messed around for most of the afternoon; Mac showing Lucy various chords, Lucy complaining because her fingers weren't quite long enough and it hurt, and lots of Lucy just thrashing around on the strings.

The door to Mac's apartment swung open at a quarter til five and the smell of Chinese wafted through the air. Lucy slid off Mac's lap and sprinted through the apartment, "MAMAW!"

Stella laughed as the eight-year-old's head collided with her abdomen, juggling the bags of food, Stella managed to wrap an arm around Lucy. She smiled down at her, "Hey Lu! Are you having fun with Papaw?"

"Yup!" Lucy twisted on the toes of her Halloween tights, "I watched Spongebob and then Papaw taught me stuff on his guitar!"

Stella grinned and moved deeper into the apartment, dropping the bags on the dining room table, "Wow, you're special, Lu. Papaw doesn't let just anyone touch his guitars."

"She is special." Mac joined them at the table, squeezing Lucy's shoulders and leaning over her to peck Stella on the lips, "Hello."

"Hi." Stella grinned at him.

"Ewww." Lucy slapped a hand over her eyes, "You guys are worse than Mommy and Daddy!"

Both adults laughed before taking their seats across from one another, Lucy in between them. Stella dipped Lucy's plate up for her, "I like your outfit, Lu, did you pick it yourself?"

"Mhmm." Lucy grabbed a few noodles with her fingers and popped them in her mouth, "Mommy said I'm eight, I get to pick my own clothes."

"Swallow before you speak," Stella reminded her gently, "and use your fork."

"God made fingers first." Lucy protested.

Stella simply laughed and shook her head, "You are your father through and through."

"At least it's not meal worms." Mac added with a chuckle.

Lucy's face scrunched up in horror as her hand flew to her mouth, "Daddy ate worms!?"

"Yep," Mac nodded, winking at Stella, "And your mother ate deep fried spiders."

"SPIDERS!?" Lucy's jaw slacked as she moved her finger in and out of her mouth, making the gagging sign.

"They both did."

"Are they NUTS!?" Lucy exclaimed, "That's just... EW! Why would they eat bugs? BUGS! That's just nasty! I'm not gonna eat the spider in the corner of my room! Why would Mommy eat a spider?"

Stella was laughing so hard she almost choked on a cashew as the tears poured down her face at the little girl's reaction. She slowed her breathing and picked up some noodles, chewing thoughtfully before she spoke, "I think she did it to impress your Daddy."

"Yuck!" Lucy rolled her eyes, "I'm never eating a SPIDER to make some boy like me."

Mac laughed and ruffled her hair, "No, you'll just impress them with your ability to list off the Yankees stats."

"Better than eatin' some bug!"

The rest of dinner was filled with Lucy's wild tales of her elementary school adventures and she listened attentively to stories of her parents and all the silly things they had done. After dinner the three of them all tackled the dirty dishes; Mac washing, Stella rinsing, Lucy drying and all of them putting away.

As the light faded outside, the trio collapsed on the couch, Lucy in the middle and her godparents flanking her. Mac handed Lucy the guitar and let her show off all that she had learned for Stella. Stella did her part as she watched Lucy with a big grin on her face, ignoring the sour chords, and applauding when the prepubescent had finished. Stella kissed Lucy's cheek and hugged her, "That was great, Kiddo."

"Thanks." Lucy smiled and handed the guitar back to Mac, resisting the urge to wipe the kiss from her cheek.

Mac accepted the guitar, placing it back in the corner with the thought of getting Lucy a child sized one. He looked at the girls who had turned to sit cross legged and facing one another as Lucy taught Stella a handshake she had learned at school. Lucy laughed as she sang the rhyme and Stella stuck out her tongue at her. Mac grinned; he loved watching Stella with Lucy and how their laughter always filled the room when they were together.

"Papaw!" Lucy's incessant poking on his shoulder tore him from his thoughts, "Turn around." She motioned with her finger and Mac turned obediently so that his back was too her, "Criss-cross, applesauce, spiders crawling up your back," Her hands acted out the rhyme as she blew on the back of his neck, "Woosh, there's the wind!"

Mac involuntarily drew his shoulders up to his neck and Lucy erupted into a fit of giggles. The rhyme was one Lucy had learned on the bus and had proceeded to do on anyone and everyone she had come across since. Stella laughed with her as she had been the same victim several days ago, "Alright, Kid, it's time for a bath and then I'm brushing your hair afterward."

"Awww." Lucy whined, "Do I gotta?"

"Yeaaaaaah," Stella imitated her, "Ya gotta."

"Do I?" Lucy tipped her head back to appeal to Mac as the higher power.

Mac nodded, "Go bathe. You smell."

"Papaw!"

Grabbing her bag, Lucy trudged down the hall after Stella. Stella filled the tub and mixed the bubbles in for her before letting Lucy get in and close the curtain. Stella sat beside the tub doing a crossword and making sure that Lucy rinsed her hair clean after she shampooed it. Once she was in her pajamas the girls made their way to the guest bedroom and Lucy sat between Stella's legs as she carefully worked the knots out of her hair.

"Honeychild," Stella sighed and wiped Lucy's tangles induced tears, "When was the last time you brushed this?"

"I dunno." Lucy whimpered.

"Here's a hint," Stella kissed her temple, "it won't hurt so much if you brush it more than once in a great blue moon."

"But it hurts!"Lucy protested and Stella sprayed more detangler on the mop of blonde hair. Stella just sighed and resumed her careful work.

Dropping the brush to the bed as she finished, "Want me to braid it for you?"

"Please!" Lucy exclaimed and leaned her head back to pout, "It won't tangle so much that way."

Stella nodded and set about french braiding the God spun gold. Lucy relaxed and her eyes grew heavy as Stella weaved her hair together. As the elastic slid onto the end of the second braid, Lucy's head was dropping and she leaned heavily against Stella. She smiled, "Go tell Papaw good night and then it's time for bed."

"Mkay." Lucy slid sleepily off the bed and went to the living room where Mac sat watching ESPN. She climbed onto his lap and her arms locked around his neck, "Night Papaw. Love you."

"Love you too," Mac kissed the side of her head, "Sweet Angel dreams."

"Sweet Angel dreams." Lucy mumbled back before returning to the guest bedroom.

Stella lifted Lucy onto the bed and tucked the covers in around her as she flicked on the bedside lamp. She tucked a stray curl behind Lucy's ear as she dropped a kiss to her forehead, "Love you, Kiddo. Papaw and I are just down the hall if you need us."

Lucy nodded, rolling onto her side and curling up, "Love you, Mamaw."

Stella smiled and backed slowly out of the room; turning off the light and shutting the door most of the way behind her. She lazily walked back to the living room, dropping to the couch beside Mac and leaning into his side.

"Hello." Mac wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed the crown of her head, "She go to sleep okay?"

"Yeah." Stella yawned, "I think you wore her out with all that guitar playing."

"I'm sure."

Stella lowered her head to Mac's lap and flopped her legs over the end of the couch as her own eyes fluttered shut, "Wake me when Danny and Lindsay get here?"

"You got it." He said as he ran his hand through her spiral curls.

"Love you." She mumbled as she drifted off. In the dim light of the television, Stella nearly glowed with an angel's appearance. Mac would never understand how he had gotten so lucky – to find love twice, to be in a relationship with his best friend, to have a family comprised of people who had chose to be there instead of being there by obligation, to have a Goddaughter who thought he hung the moon.

Danny and Lindsay arrived several hours later; Danny's father had pulled through the surgery and they wanted to take Lucy home so she could see him in the morning. Danny collected Lucy and her things while Lindsay profusely thanked her daughter's Godparents. Mac followed them out and chuckled as a half-awake Lucy mumbled about her day.

Head pressed against Danny's shoulder, she mumbled about everything, "Papaw taught me the guitar, we had Chinese, Mamaw combed my hair," She paused, waking up more, "Why on earth did you eat bugs!?"

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**Reviews mean undying love & adoration. -J**


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